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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25101436">The Graves in Our Backyard</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaylele/pseuds/Kaylele'>Kaylele</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Feels, Cemetery, Cute, Domestic Fluff, Ghosts, Haunted Houses, M/M, Moving In Together, Ouija</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:27:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,343</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25101436</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaylele/pseuds/Kaylele</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kenma and Akaashi died 95 years ago in a tragic accident. Bokuto and Kuroo are foolishly buying their house with the expectation that it won't be haunted. </p><p> </p><p>This isn't supposed to be sad, I swear.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou/Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Akaashi Keiji/Kozume Kenma, Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>136</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>213</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm taking a break from the Roommate Adventures to write this load of adorable bullshit. ❤️❤️❤️</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"As you can see, this is a very lovely house! Four bedrooms, two baths, double story and nearly 4,000 square feet! And check out this view. You can see all of Tokyo from here!" </p><p>"Woah! Dude look!" Bokuto shouted happily, stepping out onto the patio. "This is beautiful." </p><p>It was late and the setting sun cast a warm pink-ish glow throughout the neighborhood. It was true, the view from the patio was beautiful, but you couldn't see all of Tokyo from it. Not anymore at least. Ever since they built those new houses, the view had been obstructed, much to Kenma and Akaashi's dismay. </p><p>Kuroo stepped out onto the patio with Bokuto, taking in the view. It was gorgeous to say the least. The setting sun turned the sky into a canvas of beautiful colors. He could definitely see himself sitting out here in the evenings with a cup of tea and Bokuto by his side. It would be perfect. </p><p>"So how much is this place?" Kuroo asked the realtor. </p><p>"Only 700,000." </p><p>======================<br/>"They lowered the price again." Akaashi mumbled softly, appearing next to Kenma.</p><p>"They have to, or no one would buy it." </p><p>"No one would buy it anyway…" Akaashi pointed out, "At least no sane person." <br/>=====================</p><p>"I am legally required to tell you something about this house though," The realtor continued, "Actually I… I think it would be better to show you." </p><p>The realtor lead Bokuto and Kuroo out to the backyard while Kenma and Akaashi followed close behind. This was typically the part where the buyers would freak out and leave, never to be seen again and to be honest, Kenma and Akaashi liked to watch. It was a guilty pleasure of theirs. </p><p>"You see, this house was built a long time ago, before general zoning laws and land regulations. The person who owned it was rather wealthy but unfortunately, both him and his fiance passed away at the ages of 25 and 26." </p><p>"That's so sad," Bokuto frowned. </p><p>Kenma rolled his eyes. </p><p>"It was very tragic, yes." The realtor continued. "His name was Kozume Kenma and his fiance was Akaashi Keiji. They had put quite a bit of love and passion into this house and their final wish was to be buried on the property."</p><p>"Wait a minute," Kuroo interjected, "Are you telling me-" </p><p>"There are two graves on this property… specifically in between those two cherry trees." </p><p>The realtor pointed at the two large trees near the end of the yard. Kenma remembered when they first planted them. They were small at first but grew rather quickly, much like the love the two men had shared. There used to be a giant porch swing in between them where they would sit and hang out. Kenma would play small trivia games while Akaashi would read. They'd stay out there for hours until it eventually got dark and they couldn't see anymore. When they died, Akaashi left the swing to his older sister. Now all that remained was their graves, side by side under the giant trees. </p><p>"Unfortunately, we don't have the authority to remove them," The agent went on, "the only people with that type of authority is the Kozume family and they've been denying our requests for years." </p><p>"Years?" Bokuto asked, a bit shocked. "How long has this house been on the market?" </p><p>"Ten years, unfortunately, but don't worry, the house has been updated within the last fifteen years so there aren't any structural, plumbing or electrical issues." </p><p>"Who lived here, last?" Kuroo asked. </p><p>"A member of the Kozume family." </p><p>"Whoa whoa whoa, wait." Bokuto interrupted. "Does this house still belong to the Kozume family? Or does it belong to the bank?" </p><p>Kenma's eyes widened slightly from shock. Nobody had really asked these types of questions before. Usually when the realtor mentioned graves, the buyers would typically run away. Why weren't these two idiots running away? Did they actually want to live here, knowing there were two dead bodies in the backyard?</p><p>"The Kozume family owned this house for 80 years but now it officially belongs to the bank. We can sell it to whoever we please, as long as we don't interrupt the gravesite." The realtor explained. </p><p>Bokuto and Kuroo both looked rather skeptical but dismissed the realtor so that they could talk to each other in private. </p><p>"Dude, there's dead bodies on this property." Kuroo whispered, sounding slightly terrified. </p><p>"I know, I know… but it is really nice…" </p><p>"Yeah… that realtor is kind of sketchy though." </p><p>"Dude, what if the Kozume's were forced to sell this place?" Bokuto asked. </p><p>"That's what I was thinking," Kuroo replied. "They're probably still fighting to get it back…" </p><p>"Would it be wrong to buy it though? I mean… it's the best deal we've come across." </p><p>"It is.." Kuroo agreed, "I dunno though.. it just feels wrong." </p><p>"What if we bought it and gave it back once we move out." Bokuto suggested, "It's not like we're gonna live here forever.. and we could take really good care of it in the meantime." </p><p>"Dude, that's a great idea!" </p><p>====================<br/>"Keiji," Kenma whispered, his voice floating on the cool, summer's breeze. "We're going to have an issue." <br/>====================</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Nobody has ever gotten this far," Akaashi hummed softly. </p><p>"I don't think anybody has ever been this stupid," Kenma pointed out, bitterly. </p><p>The air turned cold around them, as the older man sulked in the corner of the house. Akaashi sighed and moved closer to him, forcing himself into Kenma's personal aura. The contact was warm and pleasant, kind of like a hug and Kenma found himself leaning into it. He wanted more but that was impossible now. They were dead. They had no physical bodies to touch and kiss and hug each other with. Fortunately though, they had found out how to do this and (at least for now) it was enough.</p><p>Akaashi was just as upset as Kenma, if not more. He didn't like the idea of two random people coming in and changing everything. At least with Kenma's family, they were quiet and relaxed. Kenma and Akaashi knew exactly who they were and how they acted. They were always respectful of the house and it's belongings and occasionally they would even fix it up for them. There was never an issue when Kenma's family stayed there. Similarly, Akaashi's family would occasionally visit, but they were very respectful too. Just in a slightly more professional way. </p><p> </p><p>These people were completely different though. Kenma and Akaashi knew nothing about them. They didn't know if they were polite or respectful or kind or anything. They were complete strangers. Sure, it seemed like they meant well but first impressions aren't always correct. What if they trashed the house or completely renovated it or killed all the plants in the garden? Akaashi would probably throw them down a flight of stairs if they fucked up his garden. </p><p>The two men watched in silence as the strangers moved their stuff into the house. Kuroo (the taller of the two) seemed to have a lot of books focused around science while Bokuto (the slightly shorter one) had a ton of workout equipment. They were loud and boisterous together but surprisingly quiet on their own. It was a strange dynamic that Kenma and Akaashi weren't quite used to and they weren't sure if they liked it. </p><p>"This place is kind of cold," Bokuto complained, shivering slightly. </p><p>"It's probably just because it's old," Kuroo assured him, "old houses have a lot of drafts. Here, let me see if I can go find the thermostat." </p><p>Kuroo left, leaving Bokuto all alone in the main room. He looked around nervously before setting down the box he was holding. If Kenma didn't know any better he'd say he looked scared. A soft creak in the floor made the man jump. </p><p>"H-Hello..?" Bokuto whispered softly, "Is anybody here? ….Ghosts?" </p><p>Akaashi chuckled, the sound airy and soft, floating on the wind like a feather. Kenma moved forward from his spot on the wall, carefully knocking over one of Kuroo's books. It crashed to the floor, causing a loud thumping sound that echoed throughout the empty room. Bokuto squealed like a child, jumping into the air. The two ghosts couldn't help but erupt into a fit of giggles. </p><p>"Bo?" Kuroo called, running into the room, "Dude are you ok?" </p><p>"Dude, there's ghosts here!" Bokuto cried, clinging to Kuroo's arm. </p><p>The taller boy chuckled lightly, grabbing on to Bokuto's hands. </p><p>"Calm down, Bo. There's no such thing as ghosts." </p><p>"How do you know? You're a scientist, not a ghost expert!" </p><p>"There's no scientific evidence that proves the existence of ghosts." </p><p>"But there's also no scientific evidence that disproves the existence of ghosts." Bokuto pointed out. </p><p>"... actually there is," Kuroo informed him. "Ghosts aren't real, Bo. No matter how many dead bodies are on the property. Now c'mon, we gotta get the rest of the boxes in here." </p><p>"This place is a lot creepier than I remember…" Bokuto mumbled, picking up another box. </p><p>"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Akaashi whispered. </p><p>"We haunt them until they get out." Kenma whispered back, a small smile making its way onto his face.</p><p>They were going to have way too much fun with this. That night while the two men slept, Kenma and Akaashi devised a plan. Bokuto was clearly an easy target. He already believed in ghosts and was freaked out simply by a falling book. It wouldn't take much to scare him. Kuroo, on the other hand, would be much harder to scare. He believed in science, which meant whatever tricks they pulled would be chalked up to coincidence. That meant no amount of flickering lights, falling objects or cold drafts would faze him. If they wanted to make an impact they had to try harder. Repeatedly opening and slamming cupboards was always a good option and so was making objects float. The only issue with this was that it took up a lot of energy. They wouldn't be able to do it very often, which meant they had to make every time count. It wasn't enough to just scare Bokuto. They had to terrify them both.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kuroo and Bokuto are in for a treat 👀👀👀</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>🚧🚧🚧 WARNING 🚧🚧🚧</p><p>This chapter contains some graphic content. Specifically injury/dying related graphic content. If you want to skip over it you can. It's outlined with these little squiggles ~~~~~ I'll include a summary in the end notes</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I told myself this would be light-hearted and cute but my stupid brain made it horrific and sad soooooo </p><p>I'm sorry</p><p>You guys can fire me whenever</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next few days didn't exactly go as planned for Akaashi and Kenma. Time that was supposed to go towards scaring the other two men away was actually spent going through all their personal belongings. Before Kenma's family got kicked out, the house used to be filled with all of their old belongings. Kenma's puzzles, Akaashi's books, all their old furniture and clothes and pictures, but once they left they took everything with them. Kenma didn't blame them, in fact he was grateful. He'd much prefer his old belongings be with his family, rather than some strangers… but it still hurt. Watching over an empty house for ten years felt strange. People who once hung out here every day now weren't even allowed on the property. </p><p>Now it was different though. Bokuto and Kuroo's presence seemed to fill the house with more life and the items they brought with them seemed new and exciting. Not that Kenma's family didn't have new and exciting things, they certainly did but some things change in a matter of ten years. </p><p>"Can you believe this!?" Akaashi stood over Kuroo's shoulder wide eyed, as he read along in one of his science magazines. "They're growing human ears in jars using something called 'stem cells.'"</p><p>"That sounds disgusting." Kenma noted as he watched Bokuto flip through a book on dietary supplements and workout routines. Apparently jumping jacks and running didn't quite cut it anymore in terms of fitness but then again, he never really paid attention to fitness anyways. </p><p>The sound of Akaashi gasping rang throughout the air and Kenma looked over just in time to see his fiance having a one-sided argument with Kuroo. </p><p>"Go back, go back, go back!" Akaashi pleaded, trying to take control of the magazine but to no avail.</p><p>"He can't hear you, you know." Kenma reminded him. </p><p>"But this was extremely importa-" </p><p>"Back to work, Kou!" Kuroo announced, standing up from his spot and stretching, "We gotta finish unpacking."  </p><p>As soon as the two boys left the room, Akaashi took control of the magazine, flipping it back to the correct page. 'The History of Medical Anesthesia: From Japanese Discovery to American Popularity' stood in bold letters at the top of the article. Akaashi read through it, taking in as much information as possible. The room around them grew increasingly cold and tense as the seconds ticked on. </p><p>"We didn't have to die…" Akaashi whispered softly, his voice cracking. </p><p>"Everyone dies, Keiji." Kenma whispered back, pushing himself into the younger man's aura, "we just died sooner than we wanted." </p><p>"No… we could have lived. They could have given us anesthesia! They just didn't! We would've been fine if we were in a different country! We wouldn't have died. Yo-You wouldn't have died…" </p><p>Akaashi felt like he was crying but he knew that wasn't possible anymore. Still, it hurt. His entire soul hurt and felt heavy, like someone had just beaten him up. Kenma moved closer, forcing them together even more. </p><p>"Hey," The blond whispered, softly "it'll be ok. We still have each other, no matter what… even after death…" </p><p>Akaashi sniffled, trying to regain his composure. He tried not to get upset about their death, but it was difficult. There was so much pain and agony that he knew didn't have to exist. At the end of the day, it felt more like they had been cheated out of life, rather than bestowed death. </p><p>"You should have lived…" Akaashi finally whispered after a few minutes. </p><p>"I didn't want to… not without you… besides, I wouldn't have survived very long anyways." </p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>Kenma remembered their death all too well. The sounds of tires screeching and metal crunching haunted his subconscious. The smell of burning oil and asphalt made him cringe. Pretty soon, the two of them were laid out on operating tables in separate rooms. The doctor was babbling on about something important but he couldn't remember. He couldn't focus. His anxiety was already through the roof and all he wanted to do was bolt out of the room. He couldn't though. He was already strapped down and even if he managed to get up, he probably wouldn't make it very far. He was bleeding, he knew that, but he didn't know where. He didn't dare look down, instead choosing to focus on the ceiling and the sound of his own breathing. They had given him pain medication but it hadn't set in yet. He didn't know if it ever would. Everything still hurt and he felt like he was going to pass out at any second. </p><p>A blood curdling scream came from the next room over and he hoped to whatever God might exist that it wasn't Akaashi. He tried to brace himself, tried to tell himself that it would be ok, that it wouldn't hurt that bad… but it was all a lie. He couldn't hear Akaashi anymore. Not over the sounds of his own screaming. Every bolt of pain that rushed through him felt like hell and pretty soon it felt like the world was slowly turning dark. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Akaashi. He looked pale and scared, like he didn't know what was going on. Kenma tried to reach out to him but Akaashi started freaking out. </p><p>"Kenma stop! Don't move! Go back, please!" </p><p>"What are you talking about?" </p><p>"Y-your body… my body… I-I think I'm dead." </p><p>Kenma ignored his request and moved forward. Everything felt cold but his pain was starting to subside. Maybe the medication was actually starting to set in. He tried to reach out to Akaashi but his hand went right through him. He was like a ghost.</p><p>"Kenma please!" Akaashi begged, "go back to your body. I don't want you to die… please…" </p><p>"I… I don't want to," Kenma whispered. "I don't want to live without you…" </p><p>Akaashi was saying something but he couldn't quite hear him. Everything was starting to go dark again. The next time he woke up was in his own house, on his own bed. For a moment he thought it was all a dream and that he would be ok… but it wasn't. The sound of crying echoed throughout the house like a terrible chime. His entire family was there, along with Akaashi's. Everyone was dressed in black and a whole array of flowers and pictures were set out. They were dead.</p><p>"I told you to go back…" Akaashi said, appearing next to him. </p><p>"And watch them bury you all alone? No thanks." </p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>"They could have saved us…" Akaashi's voice ripped through Kenma's train of thought, bringing him back to reality. </p><p>"Maybe.. but I'm just glad we stayed together…" Kenma mumbled, closing the magazine and pushing it off to the side. </p><p>A loud crashing sound echoed throughout the room, causing both boys to look up. Bokuto was standing there wide eyed, his mouth hung open both from fear and amazement. </p><p>"Tetsu!!!" </p><p>There was the sound of heavy footsteps across the house and then Kuroo was there. </p><p>"Dude, what's the matter? Are you ok? Are you hurt? Why is it so fucking cold in here?" </p><p>"Dude! I swear that magazine just fucking moved! I saw it! It was like someone pushed it! There's ghosts here dude! I told you!" </p><p>"Hey, hey, hey," Kuroo said, placing his hands on Bokuto's shoulders, "dude it's fine, it was probably just the wind. There's no such thing as ghosts." </p><p>Bokuto seemed extremely skeptical but eventually caved and went along with it. The two men returned to work, leaving Akaashi and Kenma alone once again. The two men couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. Bokuto freaking out seemed to cheer them up for now.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TLDR: Kenma and Akaashi both got in a bad car crash and we're rushed to the hospital but since modern anesthesia wasn't widespread back then they both died from shock and blood loss</p><p>Akaashi is also bitter because apparently modern anesthesia was widespread in America at the time, but not in Japan even though Japan technically invented it first</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It's so hard to write cute, fluffy, ghost stuff when I literally have heavy metal music on repeat in my head. I just want Alissa White-Gluz to stab me already.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Geez, is Kuroo ever home?" Kenma groaned, sitting on top of the stereo. </p><p>Akaashi sat next to him, listening to the loud thrum of music that blasted through it. They had been watching Bokuto work out for the past 40 minutes and while it was rather relaxing, it was also completely unproductive. In the last three days Kuroo had only been home once and that was to pass out from exhaustion. Bokuto had carried him to bed after he fell asleep on the couch, before going to bed himself. Kenma had thought the gesture was sweet but now Kuroo's constant absence was starting to get irritating. They couldn't scare him if he was gone all the time.</p><p>"Bokuto had mentioned an 'overbearing assignment' when they were talking on the phone." Akaashi noted, "Perhaps he's been cooped up at his work because of it." </p><p>Kenma sighed, leaning himself into Akaashi and closing his eyes. Within a few moments the music had stopped and Bokuto had gotten up from his spot to go do something but neither ghost felt like following him. Besides, moving around required energy and at the moment both of them needed to save as much energy as possible for Kuroo. The sounds of doors opening and closing echoed throughout the house before they heard a now familiar voice. Kuroo was finally home… but for how long?</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>"Dude, that took so long," Kuroo whined, resting his head against Bokuto's shoulder. </p><p>Bokuto pulled him into a hug rubbing soothing circles on his back. He knew how difficult Kuroo's jobs could be. He often spent days at the lab decoding DNA sequences and creating long intricate charts and diagrams, explaining all of his findings. Most people in his field didn't have it this rough but Kuroo's boss was also kind of a hard ass who wanted everything done as quickly as possible. Bokuto had tried to convince him to quit and just find a job in a different lab, but Kuroo refused. Tokyo BioTech was the best research facility in all of Japan and it would be much more beneficial to just pass through the ranks than it would to find a different job. </p><p>"Are you hungry?" Bokuto asked, pulling him towards the couch. "I could make dinner." </p><p>"Please," Kuroo mumbled against him, "I'm starving." </p><p>"Do they even give you a break to eat? This seems like extortion." </p><p>"Extortion is an understatement," Kuroo called as he watched Bokuto make his way into the kitchen. </p><p>The sounds of cooking filled the house, drowning out the everlasting sounds of emptiness. Bokuto was right when he said the house was creepier than they remembered. It felt like someone was constantly staring at him though he didn't know who. Bokuto was in the kitchen and the only other person there was him. Maybe he was just being overly paranoid. </p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>"Pepper, pepper, pepper, where oh where's the pepper." Bokuto hummed happily, looking through their spice cabinet. </p><p>He could have sworn they bought some just the other day. Maybe Kuroo just didn't put it away in the correct spot. Or maybe he was forgetting and they actually didn't have any. Either way, this dish was incomplete without it so he had to figure out something. </p><p>"Do you think we should help him?" Kenma asked, as they watched Bokuto struggle to find the pepper that was literally right on the counter next to him.</p><p>"Normally, I'd say no, but his foods going to burn if he doesn't hurry up and find it."</p><p>Kenma sighed and slowly pushed the pepper shaker closer to Bokuto. The sound of glass scraping across the old wooden countertops was enough to draw his attention and he looked down just in time to see a pepper shaker moving all on its own. Akaashi had never seen a grown man jump ten feet in the air before, but watching Bokuto do it was somehow satisfying. Surprisingly, he didn't scream this time though. Instead, choosing to cover his mouth with his hands so that he didn't make any noise. </p><p>One miniature heart attack and a lot of deep breaths later, Bokuto had finally managed to compose himself. Or at least compose himself enough so that he could finish cooking. </p><p>"Th-Thank you, ghosts…" He mumbled quietly, grabbing the pepper and pouring some in. </p><p>Akaashi chuckled lightly, a small smile forming on his face. Nobody had ever thanked them for scaring them before, but then again, they didn't exactly scare people that often. </p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>"Do you ever miss eating?" Kenma asked as Bokuto set the table. </p><p>"Not really," Akaashi answered. "It's kind of nice not to think about it anymore." </p><p>"I still kind of miss apple pie.. just the taste of it." </p><p>"Maybe if Bokuto makes one, we can steal it." </p><p>Kenma smiled a tiny bit at the thought. It would be kind of funny to steal a pie, but it would ultimately be pointless. It's not like they could actually eat it. </p><p>The two ghosts took their seats at the table, Kenma right next to Kuroo and Akaashi next to Bokuto. Despite not being able to eat themselves, it was still nice to be at the table and at least pretend like they were still a part of the living world. When Kenma's family was around they'd always sit at the table or hang out on the couch. Sometimes, they'd even play games with the younger children. Kenma was especially good at checkers and when no adults were watching he'd manipulate the board to help his nieces win. Sure, it may have been cheating but it was worth it. </p><p>Once Kuroo sat down, the conversation shifted from food to work. Apparently his boss gave him a couple days off after each assignment, which meant Akaashi and Kenma could finally scare him like they had planned. Similarly, Bokuto had some time off, though they both knew he would probably spend a lot of it working out. The man was a beast, constantly lifting weights or running or doing pull-ups. It was insane just how physically fit he was. He could probably lift an entire train if he wanted to. Ok, maybe not a train, but still.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is late cause I got sick again and pretty much slept half of Sunday and all day yesterday ☠️ I feel like my body's been trying to kill me for the last 15 years but honestly if it really wants me dead, it's gonna have to try a lot fucking harder than that</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"What movie is this?" Kenma asked. </p><p>All the dishes had been washed and put away and now the four men were sitting on the couch, watching some kind of movie. Clearly Bokuto and Kuroo knew what they were looking at but Akaashi and Kenma had no clue. They had never really seen a movie like this before. It had started off nice and cheery, with a family moving into a brand new home but things had started to change. The whole thing has become very dark and morbid looking. </p><p>"Dude, did you have to pick this movie?" Bokuto whined, clinging to his boyfriend. </p><p>"Aw, c'mon Bo. You're not scared, are you?" </p><p>"N-No." </p><p>"Then what's the matter?" Kuroo teased. </p><p>"It's just… there's ghosts in this movie…" </p><p>"So? We've watched tons of ghost movies before." </p><p>Bokuto's mind wandered back to the incident in the kitchen. This house was definitely haunted but he didn't want to bring that up with Kuroo. Not now, anyway. All it would do is start a debate about whether or not ghosts actually exist (which they totally did!) Instead, he just opted to stay quiet and cling to Kuroo whenever there was a particularly scary part. </p><p>"I wasn't aware that they made movies about ghosts." Akaashi hummed, resting his chin on his knees. </p><p>"Me either," Kenma mumbled, "Wait! Keiji look!" </p><p>Akaashi fixed his gaze on the tv just in time to see the ghost, now a visible apparition, standing next to bed. She looked terrifying, standing there in nothing but a tattered dress with her face contorted into a gasping scowl. The living people in the movie were screaming as she inched closer and closer to them. </p><p>"Do you think we could do that?" Kenma asked. </p><p>"Scare people?" </p><p>"No, I mean make ourselves visible." </p><p>Akaashi thought about it for a moment before glancing over at Bokuto and Kuroo. Really, there was no way for the ghosts to tell if they were visible or not. They could see each other all the time, regardless of if they were trying. Instead they'd have to rely on Bokuto and Kuroo to tell for them, but that was risky. A trick like that probably took a lot of energy and if they messed it up they were screwed. Nevertheless though, Akaashi did want to try. He wanted Kuroo to realize that they were there. </p><p>"After the movie, we'll try." Akaashi said, scooting closer to Kenma and leaning into him. </p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>"Dude, that movie sucked!" Bokuto whined, burying his face into Kuroo's shoulder. </p><p>"C'mon, it wasn't that bad. The ghost looked pretty cool." </p><p>"Everyone died! Including the dog!" </p><p>"Ok, yeah. That part sucked," Kuroo agreed, "but it's a horror movie, Bo. Everyone's supposed to die." </p><p>"They could've at least let Yaka-San live." </p><p>"Yaka-San got possessed. There was no way she was going to live." </p><p>"But she was the sweetest character in the whole movie." Bokuto pouted. </p><p>"The sweetest people always get possessed." Kuroo teased, hooking a finger under Bokuto's chin and forcing their eyes to meet, "That's why you better be careful. You could be next." </p><p>"Stop it!" Bokuto whined, pushing his boyfriend away. </p><p>Kuroo just laughed and pulled him closer, peppering his face with kisses until he stopped pouting. </p><p>"C'mon, let's go to bed." </p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>Kuroo couldn't sleep very well that night. It felt like someone or something was staring at him.. but that was impossible. There was no one else here. It was just him and Bokuto, and Bokuto was already fast asleep. 'It's just paranoia', he tried to tell himself. Obviously, just paranoia. After all, they had just watched a scary movie. His brain was just overreacting.. but as the minutes ticked on he felt more and more on edge. </p><p>"...kurooo…" </p><p>Kuroo jolted up, trying to get his eyes adjusted to the dark. For a moment, he debated turning on the lamp but decided against it. He didn't want to wake up Bo. Besides, it's completely possible he could have just imagined the sound. People did that sometimes, right? Right? </p><p>"...Kuroooooo…" </p><p>Ok so maybe he wasn't imagining it. That was also possible. Very unlikely, but possible. If he wasn't imagining it though, then where was it coming from? Bo was asleep and no one else was here. No one else could be making that noise. Unfortunately, a loud creaking sound said otherwise. </p><p>"Kuroo!" </p><p>Ok, someone was here. Someone was definitely here. Kuroo jumped, quickly turning on the lamp, only to be met with a pair of intense golden eyes. A man he had never seen before was hovering over his bed, glaring at him. He had long, black hair with blond tips and was wearing a red sweater that faded the more he looked downward. He seemed incredibly pale… almost translucent. </p><p>"Bo-" </p><p>Kuroo panicked, turning so that he could wake up Bokuto, only to be met with another man sitting between them. He was incredibly pale too but had deep, stormy eyes and pitch black hair. Instead of a glare, he wore a completely blank expression. Almost as if he was bored, just by being here. Kuroo opened his mouth to say something but it was too late. They had vanished into thin air, leaving the bed-headed man completely baffled. </p><p>"Kur-" </p><p>A hand came down on Kuroo's shoulder, causing him to jump and let out a shrill cry. </p><p>"Hey, hey," Bokuto whispered, grabbing Kuroo's hands, "dude, what's the matter?" </p><p>"I- I couldn't sleep and someone was calling me, s-so I turned on the light and there were these two guys but they disappeared and- a-and…" </p><p>"Shhhh," Bokuto shushed him, rubbing soothing circles on his back, "it'll be ok.. it was probably just a bad dream." </p><p>Kuroo sighed, leaning against Bokuto. He was right… it was just a bad dream… it had to be a bad dream. Kuroo woke up three more times that night, to the same two men but each time he just repeated Bokuto's words. It was all just a bad dream.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kuroo's secretly a scaredy cat 👀🙀☠️</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My boyfriend told me he bought a viz manga for shounen jump and that I could read Haikyuu on it whenever I want but only if I come over and give him a hug and kiss 🥺🥺🥺 What Gods did I appease to find a person like this? Who do I thank? (Also why does this scenario remind me of a KuroKen fanfiction?) (the world will never know)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Uh… hey ghosts.." Bokuto mumbled, as he sat down on the soft grass, right in front of the two gravestones. </p><p>It was bright and early, with a cool breeze flowing through the city. He had just finished his morning run and was about to go back inside when he got an idea. What if he just.. hung out with the ghosts? Or at least talked to them a little bit? It was strange, he knew that, but something about felt right. After all, this was their house and him and Kuroo were the ones intruding. The least he could do was acknowledge them, right? </p><p>"I uh.. I should probably stop calling you guys ghosts, huh? I mean, not that you aren't ghosts, you are but.. you have names too…" </p><p>"My name's Akaashi-San." Akaashi smiled, sitting on top of his gravestone. </p><p>"He can't hear you…" Kenma mumbled, leaning against his own.</p><p>"I know… but it's a nice gesture, isn't it?" </p><p>'More than nice,' Kenma thought to himself, though he would never admit it. Nobody had spoken to them this way in years. Not since they had died, anyway… but it felt warm and welcoming in a way that he couldn't quite describe. </p><p>"My name's Bokuto, by the way." Bokuto continued, "Bokuto Koutarou… and my boyfriend's name is Kuroo Tetsurou. I call him Tetsu sometimes and he usually calls me 'Bo' or 'Kou'. </p><p>"I'd probably call him bedhead," Kenma mumbled, earning a chuckle from his fiance. </p><p>"I know you guys probably don't like us very much…" Bokuto said, his voice growing soft, "but this won't be forever. I promise we'll give your house back to your family… and hey! Once it's paid off, the bank has no say in it anymore, right? It's kind of like a win-win for all of us." </p><p>Kenma sighed, pulling his knees up to his chest. He wanted to tell Bokuto thank you, but he knew he couldn't. It's not like he'd be able to hear them anyways. </p><p>"It'll probably take us a while to pay it all back. I mean, we make money, but not that much, ya know. I'm a personal trainer and Tetsu's a scientist. Don't tell him I told you this, but I make more money than him. Well… at least for now I do. He'll make good money one day but it takes a lot for him to pass through the ranks… his job is a lot more complicated than mine." </p><p>Kenma found himself smiling, the more Bokuto went on. It was nice listening to him talk about life and work and everything else. Him and Kuroo were about 25-26 and they had lived in Tokyo all their lives. They both loved food and volleyball and science. Though, Bokuto mostly just loved watching chemicals explode. He didn't quite understand the more complex stuff and according to him there was way too much math involved. So, instead he got a career as a personal trainer. Sports medicine was much easier for him, anyway, plus all his clients were professional athletes, which meant he got to hear all the juicy drama. </p><p>"Can you believe Kageyama-San and Hinata-San are secretly engaged!" Bokuto chimed, "I mean, it's not really a big deal anymore. Why even hide it at that point, right? They're already so popular, it's not like they're going to lose support over it." </p><p>"It might be more complicated than that, Bokuto-San…" Kenma mumbled, playing with a strand of his own hair. </p><p>"He can't hear you," Akaashi teased, causing his boyfriend to blush. </p><p>"Shut u-" </p><p>"Koutarou!" Kuroo yelled from across the property. </p><p>"Shit! It's probably getting late," Bokuto grumbled, getting up from his spot. "I uh… nice talk, I guess." </p><p>"Koutarou!" </p><p>"We'll talk later, yeah? Bye guys!" </p><p>Akaashi and Kenma both waved goodbye, watching as the energetic man ran off towards the house. </p><p>"Dude, where have you been?" Kuroo asked, clearly concerned. </p><p>"Out on my run. What time is it?" </p><p>"Noon," </p><p>"Shit, I was gone a long time." Bokuto mumbled. </p><p>He had spent at least an hour talking to Akaashi and Kenma. It was nice though, even if they didn't respond. </p><p>"Tetsu?" </p><p>"Hm?" </p><p>"What do you think Akaashi and Kenma looked like?" </p><p>"Who knows?" Kuroo shrugged, opening up the fridge and grabbing a cold water for Bokuto. </p><p>"Don't your records go back to 1873?" </p><p>Bokuto had heard Kuroo talk about his job enough to know about the pictures. Tokyo BioTech had DNA samples of every single Japanese citizen since 1873 and with each sample, came a picture of who it belonged to. Kuroo's favorite part of his job was looking at the old photos. It made everything feel more real. He wasn't just analyzing DNA. He was mapping out a wide, complex heritage of people. </p><p>"I'm only in charge of region 17 samples dating from 1931-1952." Kuroo reminded him. </p><p>"Yeah, but you still have access keys to the rest of the data, right?" </p><p>"Yeah… but that could get me fired, Bo. I'm not supposed to be messing with other people's samples… unless…" </p><p>Kuroo would be lying if he said he didn't want pictures of Kenma and Akaashi. Ever since they moved in, he had wondered about the house's old occupants. What they looked like, sounded like, acted like. Maybe it was just natural because of his job, but he wanted to know everything about them. Why did they live in Tokyo? Were they born here? Who were their parents? What schools did they go to? Did they go to school at all? </p><p>"I'll try," Kuroo finally caved, crossing his arms over his chest. "But if you don't get ready soon, we're going to be late." </p><p>"Shit!" Bokuto panicked, running to go get ready. He had completely forgotten about their lunch date with Hinata and Kageyama.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Akaashi and Kenma try to leave a thank you note for Bokuto 🖤🖤🖤</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Are you sure this is going to work?" Akaashi asked, checking one more time to make sure the two men were still asleep. </p><p>Kenma shrugged, struggling to hold the marker straight while he drew out the 'u'. His writing was scraggly and crooked but it didn't matter that much. As long as they could read it, it was fine. </p><p>"Even if it doesn't, we can always try again later." </p><p>"I'm not sure if we'll have the chance later," Akaashi mentioned. </p><p>"As long as it's legible, it doesn't matter. They're gonna have to come in here eventually." </p><p>"I suppose." </p><p>Kenma sighed in relief once the last letter was done, letting the marker fall and clatter into the sink. Writing stuff out like that took way too much time and energy. Both boys took a moment to step back and admire their work.. or rather Kenma's work. </p><p>"I guess red wasn't the best choice." Akaashi mumbled. </p><p>"Fuck!" Kenma cursed, burying his face in his hands. </p><p>The red marker they had been using had leaked everywhere, leaving dark red splotches all over the counter and floor, making the entire bathroom look like a crime scene. The 'Thanks Bokuto' they had written on the mirror now looked like it had been written in blood. </p><p>"We need to clean this up." Akaashi panicked. He didn't want either of the men coming into a bathroom that looked like this. It would probably terrify them. </p><p>"Clean it? How? We can barely even lift the pen!" Kenma argued. </p><p>"I'm sure water would work." </p><p>"How are we even gonna turn it on?" </p><p>Akaashi tried the knobs but they would only budge a tiny bit. Just enough for a tiny stream of water to start flowing. It wasn't nearly enough though. </p><p>"This isn't gonna work." Kenma mumbled, crossing his arms. </p><p>"Well, we can't just leave it like this." </p><p>"We don't have any other options. I can't even lift a wash rag right now!" </p><p>"We have to at least try!" Akaashi urged him, "they're going to freak out if they come in here and see this." </p><p>"It's not like we haven't freaked them out before." </p><p>"Yes bu-" </p><p>"Keiji, the water." Kenma interrupted him, gesturing towards the sink that was starting to fill up. </p><p>"What?" </p><p>"The water. Turn it off, or it's going to overflow." </p><p>Akaashi looked over at the sink that was now filled to the brim with red stained water. The broken pen was floating on the top, oozing more ink. </p><p>"Shit," Akaashi cursed under his breath, fiddling with the knobs and trying to turn the water off. </p><p>He managed to get one of them to turn but unfortunately, it was in the wrong direction. More water flowed out of the faucet, causing the sink to overflow and still red water all over the floor. </p><p>"Shit! Keiji turn it off!" </p><p>"I'm trying! They won't budge!" </p><p>"What's that noise?" Kuroo's groggy morning voice flowed through the empty house, reaching Akaashi and Kenma's ears. </p><p>"Fuck! He's awake!" Akaashi cursed, still fighting with the sink. </p><p>"Dude, did you forget to turn off the water?" Kuroo asked. </p><p>"No," Bokuto groaned, rolling over in bed. </p><p>"It sounds like the water's on," </p><p>"So go turn it off…" </p><p>Kuroo groaned and got up, making his way to the bathroom. Right before he got to the door, he felt something wet underneath his feet. Great, now they had to deal with a flooded bathroom, he thought to himself. It wasn't until he got the bathroom door open, that his jaw dropped. The entire counter, mirror and sink looked like it was covered in blood and water was spewing out of the faucet, flooding the room. His eyes snapped up to the two men who were fighting with the sink. They looked like the same men from his nightmares but even more ghostly and pale. He could practically see through them. The three men had a stare off for a couple of moments before they disappeared entirely. </p><p>"Do you think he saw us?" Akaashi whispered. </p><p>"Hopefully not." </p><p>"Koutarou!!!" Kuroo screamed, running back to the bed. "Koutarou! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" </p><p>"I don't wanna get up." Bokuto groaned and tried to hide his face under the blanket while Kuroo shook him. </p><p>"Dude, the bathroom! You have to get up! C'mon!" </p><p>"What's wrong with the bathroom?" </p><p>Bokuto peeked out from under the blanket and looked up at Kuroo. His face was as white as a ghost and he looked like he was about to pass out. </p><p>"Please just come with me," Kuroo pleaded. </p><p>Bokuto nodded and got up, following Kuroo to the bathroom. As soon as he saw the mess his jaw hit the floor. </p><p>"Holy shit…" </p><p>"What do we do?" Kuroo asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft. </p><p>Bokuto stepped further into the bathroom to examine things. Scrawled out on the mirror was 'thanks Bokuto', written in what looked like blood. Part of it warmed his heart but the other part was absolutely fucking horrifying. Bokuto looked around for a moment before wiping up one of the splotches on the counter and smelling it. </p><p>"Dude, what the fuc-" </p><p>"It smells like ink," Bokuto interrupted him. </p><p>"Ink?" </p><p>"Yeah.. smell it." </p><p>Kuroo cautiously stepped closer, sniffing at the strange splotches. Sure, enough they smelled like ink. </p><p>"So what? Someone breaks in just to fuck with us?" Kuroo asked, still baffled by the mess. </p><p>"I dunno." Bokuto mumbled, grabbing a rag, "let's just clean it up, yeah?" </p><p>"...yeah…" Kuroo mumbled. </p><p>The rest of their day was spent cleaning up the mess in the bathroom and trying to figure out what happened… Although, Bokuto already knew.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Bokuto is low key trying to cover for the ghosts 👀👀👀</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I have so many ideas and so little time to execute them all properly 💔 I wish I could just write non stop all the time</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bokuto sighed as he sat down on the soft grass, underneath the cherry trees. It was cloudy and a little cold, but still nice. Maybe if it started raining, he would make a pie. He always liked baking on days like this, when it was too gloomy to go outside… but now was not the time for pie. Now was the time for business. Kuroo had already left for work, which meant no one would interrupt their important conversation. </p><p>"So uh… hey guys," Bokuto began, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I found your note. Or.. well, actually Tetsu found it but that's not the point. I saw it and.. well I appreciate it, don't don't get me wrong but uh… it was kind of scary." </p><p>"Sorry about that," Kenma mumbled softly, though Bokuto couldn't hear him.</p><p>"I mean I don't know if it was supposed to be scary. Maybe that's just how you guys leave notes?" </p><p>"It's not." Akaashi replied. </p><p>"I just.. I don't want to seem rude if that's how your notes always are, but I mean… it was kind of scary and it did take a while to clean up so… m-maybe if we could just talk to each other a different way? I mean, obviously you guys can hear me or else you wouldn't have left it. I just can't hear you… or see you," Bokuto sighed, resting his chin on his knees, "I just wish this was easier, ya know?" </p><p>"Yeah… we know," Kenma sighed, letting his hand rest on the living boy's shoulder. </p><p>Bokuto shivered. It was starting to get colder out here. </p><p>"I just wish there was something we could use to talk to each other… someone has to have invented something, don't you think?" </p><p>Akaashi and Kenma sat in silence, watching Bokuto think. They weren't quite sure if someone had invented something. Bokuto was the only person who even attempted to talk to them. </p><p>"Ouija boards!" Bokuto shouted, jumping up from his spot on the grass. "They use Ouija boards all the time in ghost movies! Why didn't I think of this sooner? This will be perfect! You guys can already move stuff around. I'm gonna go buy one! You guys stay here, I'll be back!" </p><p>"What's an Ouija board?" Kenma asked, after the energetic man had ran off towards the house. </p><p>"I'm not sure." </p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>Kuroo knew this was a bad idea. Sneaking around in the other sections was just going to get him in trouble. He had absolutely no business being in the archives anyways, let alone this section of them, but nevertheless he was here anyway. Risking his job just for a couple of pictures. </p><p>"1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900s. Bingo." Kuroo muttered, opening up the filing cabinet. </p><p>Unfortunately, everything before 1900 was usually messy and disorganized. Only a few people worked on this section of the genome map, which meant no one really bothered to organize the records for it. It took a lot of digging before Kuroo managed to find an envelope labeled Kozume. Unfortunately it was the wrong one though. </p><p>Kozume Yukio (probably a cousin, Kuroo thought) was a shy looking girl with long black hair and piercing, gold eyes. Her date of death was just a few years ago. Something about the picture made Kuroo feel uneasy. She looked familiar… too familiar. </p><p>Kuroo sighed and stuck the envelope back in the cabinet before searching through the other files. He managed to find two more Kozume's before finally landing on the right one. Quickly, he opened up the envelope, pulling out its contents. As soon as he did a small piece of paper flew out, falling onto the floor. </p><p>"Shit," Kuroo whispered, knealing down to pick it up. </p><p>As soon as he saw it, he almost screamed. It was a picture of two men dressed in suits, holding hands. It looked like they were at a wedding. The first man had long black hair with blond tips and piercing gold eyes, while the second had short, black hair and teal eyes. There was no mistaking it. These were the same men from his dreams… but how? He had never seen these men before in his life. How did they even end up in his dreams to begin with? </p><p>Quickly, Kuroo grabbed the other papers, trying to find some sort of explanation. Maybe he had seen these men before and it was just a repressed memory? Maybe their faces had been in a recent paper somewhere or a billboard or something? Anything? He managed to find the original document that the picture had been attached to. On it was a small paragraph about the photo. </p><p>"Kozume Kenma with his fiance Akaashi Keiji. This photo was taken at their wedding rehearsal, just hours before their death. The family allowed us to keep this picture for our records." </p><p>"Holy shit," Kuroo whispered, staring down at the picture. </p><p>"Working hard, Kuroo-San?" </p><p>Kuroo looked up just to see his manager standing above him, a small scowl plastered across his face. Quickly, he scrambled to his feet, accidentally hitting his head on the open drawer above him. </p><p>"Fuck! S-Sorry sir." </p><p>"Don't tell me you lost your set of records," His manager tsked. </p><p>"M-My records..? No! Of course not. I have all my records in order sir." </p><p>"Then what are you doing down here?" </p><p>"I uh-" </p><p>"1900s? Our branch doesn't cover that section, Kuroo-San." </p><p>"I.. I'm aware of that." Kuroo said. </p><p>"Then what are you doing here?" </p><p>Kuroo thought for a moment trying to think of a good excuse. Or any excuse for that matter.</p><p>"I uh… I have an orphan case." Kuroo blurted out. It technically wasn't a lie. He did actually have an orphan on his records that was giving him a fair amount of trouble. </p><p>"An orphan?" </p><p>"Yes! An orphan. Her record says that her parents both passed away but I can't find any proof of their death and… well there's no official record saying that she was an orphan. All the accounts were from members of the community. For all we know, she could've run away or got kidnapped or something. I just.. u thought maybe if I came down here I could find out what happened? Maybe find her parents?" </p><p>"Stop," His manager sighed, "Kuroo-San, I think I've heard enough. Clean up this mess and meet me in my office… and bring your records." </p><p>"...yes sir…" Kuroo whispered, watching as his manager walked away. </p><p>Once he was far enough away, Kuroo shoved the picture in his pocket and then went to work cleaning up the rest of the files. All the while, wondering how long it would take him to find a new job after this.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Kuroo-San, come in. Take a seat," his manager said, looking over some papers on his desk. </p><p>Kuroo took a deep breath, cautiously stepping inside the office. He always expected his position here to be temporary but he had assumed he'd move up. Climb the ranks until eventually he managed over everybody. He didn't expect to get fired, especially not like this. His manager looked up at him for a brief moment before he took a seat. </p><p>"Kuroo-San, would you kindly hand over your notes?" </p><p>"Yes sir," Kuroo complied, sliding his notes over. </p><p>His manager picked them up and began to look through them, taking note of something. Though Kuroo wasn't quite sure what that something was. He didn't understand why his boss was dragging this out. Clearly he was fired, right? So why not just come out and say it? Why drag it in and make him look like an idiot? What was the point? </p><p>"Kuroo-San, do you know what it takes to get ahead in this company?" </p><p>"I.." Kuroo thought for a moment, clearly confused. Why was he even asking him this? "Hard work?" </p><p>"Good guess, but not quite. Many people here are hard workers. Some even harder workers than you and I. No, it takes something more. Something more impactful. Do you know what it is?" </p><p>"Intelligence? ...problem solving?" Kuroo guessed. </p><p>"Initiative," his boss corrected. "Taking that next step forward, whether you were told to or not. That's what makes it in this company." </p><p>Kuroo stayed quiet, not really sure where this conversation was headed. His boss didn't seem very upset or angry or disappointed. He hadn't outright told him he was fired yet either. </p><p>"I'll tell you something, Kuroo-San. I'm no longer going to be the manager of this branch anymore. They've promoted me elsewhere, starting next week." </p><p>"Congratulations sir," </p><p>"Thank you.. but before I leave I have to find someone to fill my shoes and I want that person to be you." </p><p>Kuroo nearly fell out of his chair from shock. </p><p>"You can't be serious, sir! You want me to be the new manager!?" </p><p>"As far as I'm concerned, you're the only person who's qualified enough for this job.. and you took the initiative today. Something most people in your case wouldn't do and to top it all off, you were right." </p><p>"Wait, right? Right about what?" Kuroo asked, confused. </p><p>"I looked up your little orphan case in our system. Turns out her parents never actually died. Her bloodline traces directly back to the Kozume family, although it'll be difficult to figure out which one, but I'm sure that's something you can figure out later. For now, you can take the day off but tomorrow I expect you here bright and early, for management training." </p><p>"Yes sir! Thank you." Kuroo bowed slightly, before leaving the office. </p><p>Quickly, he gathered up his stuff before heading home. He couldn't wait to tell Bokuto what happened. </p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>"So uh.. how do you use one of these things?" Bokuto asked the woman tentatively. </p><p>It was a long drive but he had finally made it to the Oracle shop. It was the only shop in Japan that sold Ouija boards and other creepy, mystical items. Lining the shelves were jars filled with herbs, crystals, candles, bones, skulls, magic balls and all sorts of things. A small crow on a perch cawed at him before nipping away at it's feathers. He felt oddly out of place here.</p><p>"It's very simple," the woman claimed, taking the board out of its box to show him. </p><p>She explained everything from the way the board was set up to what a planchet was and how to use it. It didn't seem too difficult but the lady seemed to have a lot of tips that sounded ridiculous.</p><p>"Never end on a yes question." <br/>"Don't share personal information." <br/>"Don't contact demons." <br/>"Never forget to say goodbye." <br/>"Don't eat while you use it." </p><p>As soon as Bokuto was out of the shop he sighed with relief. He finally had his board and now all he had to do was go home and think of a way to get Kuroo to use it with him. Perhaps he could persuade him with pie? He always seemed to like it whenever he made pie. Plus it was the perfect cloudy day for pie. </p><p>The only question was what kind of pie? It wasn't quite pumpkin season yet so that was out of the question. Cherry pie seemed nice but most cherries weren't in season anymore. Pecan pie was just icky. What about apple pie? His mom did just drop off a large bag of apples the other day. That would work well. </p><p>"Welp, apple pie it is then." Bokuto mumbled softly, pulling up in the driveway. </p><p>"Agaashi-San! Kozume-San! I'm home!" Bokuto shouted cheerfully as he walked into the empty house. "Check this out! I managed to find an Ouija board so we can actually talk to each other! But we gotta wait for Kuroo to get home so he can join us. For now I think we should make some pie!" </p><p>Bokuto set the box down on the counter before going to work, washing and peeling apples. Akaashi and Kenma stared at the box in confusion. </p><p>"Do you think it'll actually work?" Kenma whispered. </p><p>"Let's hope so." Akaashi replied. </p><p>"Did you guys ever like pie? Or were you cake people?" Bokuto asked, as if he was expecting an answer, "Tetsu and I are definitely pie people. I mean, cake is good but it has too much frosting, ya know? I was gonna make pumpkin pie but I guess it's not really pumpkin season. Still.. apple pie is just as good. Just don't listen to what Tetsu tells you. He thinks cherry pie is the best. I mean, can you believe him? Next he's gonna think that pistachio ice is good. Bleh!" </p><p>Bokuto stuck out his tongue in protest, earning a chuckle from the two ghosts. Even though they couldn't talk back, it was still nice to listen to Bokuto ramble on about pie. Something about it made them feel alive again. It seemed like Kuroo's arrival couldn't come any sooner.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've been so distracted all day, I almost didn't get this done ☠️😵💀</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Koutarou!" Kuroo called, kicking off his shoes. "I'm home," </p><p>He heard shuffling coming from the kitchen and then saw his boyfriend peek out from behind the wall. His face was covered in flour and he had on a black apron with a white cartoon owl on it. </p><p>"Tetsu!" Bokuto smiled, "you're home early." </p><p>"Yeah, my boss let me have the rest of the day off." </p><p>"Really? Wait.. he never lets you go home early. Nothing bad happened, right?" </p><p>Bokuto looked concerned as he took off his apron, setting it down on the table. He knew asking Kuroo to go look for the pictures was a risky idea but he never thought he'd actually get in trouble over it. </p><p>"I got a promotion." Kuroo said, not bothering to hold back the smile that was forming on his face. </p><p>Bokuto's eyes lit up and his jaw practically dropped to the floor. </p><p>"Wait.. really? Like really really?" </p><p>"Mhm," Kuroo nodded, biting his bottom lip. </p><p>"Tetsu!" Bokuto shouted, scooping up his boyfriend in his arms and twirling him around the kitchen. "This is so amazing! I'm so proud of you!" </p><p>Kuroo laughed, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's neck and planting soft kisses on his face. Today couldn't get any better. </p><p>"We should go out and celebrate! But wait- shit, I'm making pie." </p><p>So maybe today could get better. </p><p>"We can order food here," Kuroo suggested, "and maybe tomorrow night we'll go somewhere fancy." </p><p>"This is why you're the smart one," Bokuto smiled, capturing his boyfriend's lips in his own. "I can clean up in here while you order it." </p><p>"Deal," </p><p>It had taken Bokuto much longer to clean up the kitchen than he originally anticipated. There were apple peels everywhere, dishes piled up in the sink and flour all over the floor. If only he were a cleaner cook, maybe it wouldn't take so long. As soon as Kuroo was done ordering food he decided to change out of his work clothes and into something more comfortable. A pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt would do, along with a pair of fuzzy socks to help fight off the cold. </p><p>Kuroo made sure to grab the picture out of his work pants so it wouldn't accidentally end up in the wash. Looking at the two men was still unsettling. He had to have seen them somewhere before.. but where? It didn't make sense. Maybe one day he would figure it all out, but for now he simply shoved the picture in his sweatpants pocket and made his way back into the kitchen. Bokuto was nearly finished with the cleaning. </p><p>"Hey, Testu?" Bokuto hummed, scrubbing the last of the mixing bowls. </p><p>"Hm?" </p><p>"I uh… I bought something today." </p><p>"Oh really?" Kuroo smirked, wrapping his arms around Bokuto's waist and resting his head on his shoulder. </p><p>He knew that voice all too well. Bokuto's shy, nervous voice whenever he bought something new and sexual. He would always get embarrassed talking about it and try to play it off by saying that they didn't have to try it. As if Kuroo would ever pass up the opportunity to do something kinky in the bedroom. </p><p>"What'd you buy, baby?" Kuroo asked, trailing his hands along Bokuto's abs and down to the button on his jeans.</p><p>"I-It's nothing like that!" Bokuto squeaked, his face turning a bright shade of red. "It's just… I dunno, maybe it's just stupid." </p><p>"Hey," Kuroo grabbed Bokuto by the shoulder, spinning him around so that they were facing each other. "Nothing you buy is ever stupid, Kou. It's always useful or sexy or fun in some way." </p><p>"What about when I bought a bunch of Chinese finger traps?" </p><p>"It was fun watching you freak out when you got your toes stuck in them." Kuroo laughed.</p><p>"Hey!" Bokuto pouted, crossing his arms. "I was drunk… and my toes could've fallen off!" </p><p>"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. C'mon babe, just tell me what you bought." </p><p>Bokuto sighed and looked away for a moment. </p><p>"It's uh… it's… an Ouija board…" Bo whispered.</p><p>"A what?" Kuroo asked. He could barely hear him. </p><p>"An Ouija board…" </p><p>"What's an Ouija board?" </p><p>"It's a board with a bunch of letters and stuff on it. You uh.. you use it to talk to ghosts…" </p><p>"Ghosts?" </p><p>Kuroo shoved his hand in his pocket, touching the picture that resided there. It felt cold, despite being encompassed in warmth. The two men from his dream… were they ghosts? It didn't make any sense.. but then again nothing really made sense right now. His dreams didn't make sense. The bathroom covered in red ink didn't make sense. Random misplaced objects didn't make sense. Ghosts didn't make sense… but they seemed like the only explanation. </p><p>"See, I told you it was stupid." Bokuto huffed. </p><p>"What? No! No, Kou it's not stupid. I just.. I've never really heard of Ouija boards before. You'll have to teach me how to use them." </p><p>"Wait, so you actually want to use it?" </p><p>"Of course," Kuroo smiled, kissing Bokuto on the nose. "And maybe after all the spirit stuff we can switch it up and do something a bit more… physical." </p><p>Bokuto yelped as Kuroo pinched his ass and gave him another kiss. His face was significantly redder as they began making out in the middle of the kitchen. </p><p>"Kuroo's such a pervert." Kenma mumbled from his place on the counter. </p><p>"I know," Akaashi mumbled back, "he reminds me of you," </p><p>"Hey!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kenma's secretly a pervert 🖤😈</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So how does this work?" Kuroo asked as he sat down on the floor. </p><p>The board was spread out in front of them along with their boxes of food and a couple of slices of pie. Despite what the old shop keeper had said, Bokuto really didn't find any harm in eating during their seance. Besides, he was starving and he really didn't feel like waiting until afterwards. </p><p>"So the lady at the shop said that first you gotta put your hands on the planchette thingy and then you just ask questions.. but first you gotta make sure you're actually talking to the right people or else you might accidentally end up with demons." </p><p>"Demons?" Kuroo questioned, in between bites of food. </p><p>"Yeah, you can talk to demons with it too I guess." </p><p>"Wait, wait, wait. Why do we have to put our hands on the planchette?" </p><p>"I dunno, that's just what the lady said." Bokuto responded. </p><p>"Well how do we know it's working if we're touching it?" </p><p>"Cause it'll be moving." </p><p>"But how do I know you're not just pushing it?" </p><p>"Why would I be pushing it?" Bokuto replied, looking rather confused, "I'm not the ghost." </p><p>"Fine, fine," Kuroo caved, placing his hands on the planchette. </p><p>This seemed kind of ridiculous, Kuroo thought. There was no way ghosts existed and even if they did, how would they be able to move things around. They didn't have bodies with muscle and bone. They were probably just weird condensed air or something. </p><p>"Wait!" Bokuto shouted, startling Kuroo. "Do you have the picture?" </p><p>"The picture? Oh yeah! Hang on." </p><p>Kuroo pulled Akaashi and Kenma's picture out of his pocket and handed it to Bokuto who looked over it for a moment. The two men looked so happy together, smiling and holding hands. They were both dressed up in suits with rings on their fingers and a large array of flowers behind them </p><p>"They look like they're getting married," Bokuto mumbled softly.  </p><p>"They were.. kinda," Kuroo sighed. </p><p>"Wait… what do you mean by kinda?" </p><p>"Our records said that this was from their wedding rehearsal and uh… well… they didn't make it." </p><p>The room went quiet for a few moments before being interrupted by the soft sounds of sniffling. </p><p>"Hey hey, Bo, don't cry!" Kuroo said, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. </p><p>"B-But they.. they never got to get m-married and… and now…" </p><p>"Keiji?" Kenma mumbled softly, leaning into his now crying fiance, "hey, it's ok…" </p><p>"W-Why did we have to die so soon," Akaashi sniffled, "I just… I-I just wanted to marry you…" </p><p>"I know…" Kenma sighed, "I.. I really wanted to marry you too.. but it'll be ok. We still have each other." </p><p>Akaashi sighed, leaning further into Kenma while he tried to compose himself. It looked like Bokuto was trying to do the same so that they could actually start the seance. Eventually the two men had managed to calm down. </p><p>"So, how do we make sure we're talking to the right people?" Kuroo asked. </p><p>"I think we just ask," Bokuto replied, placing his hands on the planchette. </p><p>Kuroo followed suit, placing his hands on top of Bokuto's. </p><p>"Do we put our hands on it too?" Kenma asked. </p><p>"I think so.." Keiji whispered, "I mean, we have to move it right?" </p><p>"I guess" </p><p>"Is Akaashi and Kozume-San here?" Bokuto asked, nervously.</p><p>Kenma moved the planchette up to the "yes", that was written in the corner of the board. It was surprisingly easy to move, unlike most of the other things in the house. </p><p>"See, I told you it would work!" Bokuto beamed. </p><p>Kuroo just rolled his eyes and smiled at his boyfriend. He was still unsure if this was actual ghosts or just his boyfriend messing with him. </p><p>"What should we ask them?" </p><p>"Um… how are you guys?" Bokuto asked. </p><p>Akaashi moved the planchette this time, forcing it to spell out the word "sad". </p><p>"Sad?" Kuroo questioned, "why would they be sad?" </p><p>"Ghosts have feelings too," Bokuto pointed out. </p><p>"T-H-E. P-I-C-T-U-R-E." Kenma spelled out for them. </p><p>"Oh…" Kuroo mumbled softly. </p><p>"We're sorry guys," Bokuto apologized, bowing his head slightly, "we didn't mean to make you guys sad or anything like that." </p><p>"I-T-S. O-K." </p><p>"Maybe we should change the subject." Kuroo suggested, taking his hands off the planchette so that he could take another bite of his food. </p><p>Bokuto followed suit, chowing down on his dinner while he thought of something to say but before either of them could figure it out, the planchette started moving again. This time without either one of them touching it. </p><p>"F-O-O-D" </p><p>"Uh.. do you guys like food?" Bokuto asked, setting down his plate. </p><p>The planchette moved quickly over to the "yes". </p><p>"Dude, what the fuck…" Kuroo whispered, staring at the board with wide eyes. </p><p>"What?" </p><p>"Don't we have to touch that thing for it to move?" </p><p>"I guess not…" Bokuto mumbled, staring down at the board, "maybe it was just a suggestion?" </p><p>Kuroo took a deep breath, trying to calm his jittery nerves. It was pretty clear that this wasn't just an elaborate prank. It was real. There were actual ghosts talking to them. </p><p>"You ok?" Bokuto asked, putting his hand on Kuroo's forehead, "you look kinda pale." </p><p>"I'm fine." Kuroo assured him. </p><p>"You sure?" </p><p>"Mhm… let's just keep going." </p><p>Bokuto complied, asking the ghosts a whole array of questions about food and recipes and whether or not they watched him cook. Apparently they did, which Kuroo found slightly unsettling. The more they talked though, the more relaxed Kuroo got. He found it rather easy to talk to them. </p><p>"Oh! I almost forgot!" Bokuto shouted, excitedly, "are you guys more of pie people or cake people?" </p><p>"P-I-E." </p><p>"Really! What's your favorite kind?" </p><p>"A-P-P-L-E," </p><p>"Traitors!" Kuroo huffed, crossing his arms, "Cherry is clearly the best." </p><p>"C-H-E-R-R-Y. S-U-C-K-S." </p><p>Bokuto burst into a fit of laughter while Kuroo sat there pouting. He had never felt so betrayed, and by ghosts no less. The rest of the evening seemed to pass by peacefully. They finished dinner, ate pie and continued to talk to the ghosts about anything and everything they could think of. Eventually though, they all started getting rather tired. </p><p>"I guess it's time for bed," Kuroo yawned and stretched. </p><p>"Mmm," Bokuto groaned, sitting upright, "can we talk more tomorrow?" </p><p>Both boys watched as the planchette moved over to "yes". Bokuto smiled, resting his head against Kuroo's shoulder and closing his eyes.  </p><p>"Ok.. goodnight guys." </p><p>"Bo, we have to go to bed." </p><p>"But you're comfy." </p><p>"C'mon, get up." Kuroo mumbled, shrugging Bokuto off. </p><p>"Fine," Bo whined, standing up from his spot. </p><p>Bokuto went back to the old shop the next day and bought a couple more boards to place throughout the house. Talking to Kenma and Akaashi quickly became a new part of their lives, even if they didn't always respond.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The next chapter is updates -------&gt;</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Updates!!!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hey everyone! After a lot of thinking and contemplating, I’ve decided to take a break for about a week or two. It’ll give me time to reorganize my ideas, think up new ideas, start on new projects, and work on some of my old ones. It’ll also give me some more time to relax and try to figure out what I want to do moving forward, whether it's focusing more on my original works or continuing on with fanfiction (I'm not quite sure yet). But in the meantime, I thought I'd recommend some other awesome stories as well as some amazing writers. Thank you all for all your amazing support 🖤 I'll be back before you know it. </p><p> </p><p>Finished Works:</p><p>The Great Mystery of the Hickey <br/>	By: Nikko_chan</p><p>Chaotic Babysitters<br/>	By: applekenma</p><p>CookingWithHoot ぶーぶーちう料理 has updated<br/>	By: awkwardedgeworth</p><p>Can I be close to you <br/>	By: arcsec</p><p>Put a Little Hope in Me <br/>	By: shions_heart</p><p>High Knee Fuzzy Socks<br/>	By: cbswtrs</p><p>Jealous<br/>	By: silenttrees</p><p>Thieves in the Night <br/>	By: skittidyne</p><p>Happy Together<br/>By: sunshinoya</p><p>Nekoma vs Fukurodani: Laser Tag Edition<br/>	By: ValeReads</p><p>We’re close, but not that way<br/>	By: coocoocatchoo, killuagone</p><p>Cherry On Top<br/>	By: Kozumye</p><p>Set Me On Fire <br/>	By: kireiweeb</p><p>Sanctum<br/>	By: wrenrouge</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In Progress Works:</p><p>The Dare <br/>	By: yolofaber</p><p>A Leap of Faith<br/>	By: ValeReads</p><p>Destructive Attachment <br/>	By: stormrast</p><p> </p><p>Amazing Writers To Check Out:</p><p>yolofaber<br/>wrenrouge<br/>ValeReads<br/>todxrxki<br/>shions_heart<br/>steupts (check out their insta, they post cute comics) <br/>n_lotely<br/>lilserket<br/>keijiwrites<br/>keijisramen<br/>applekenma</p>
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